NBA Rumors: Bulls trade plans defy all logic in franchise’s current state

While many of the trade rumors around the Chicago Bulls have focused on the possibility of moving All-Star guard Zach LaVine, the organization appears to have much more in mind.

The Bulls are reportedly interested in acquiring players on the trade market who can help the team win now, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Moreover, Chicago isn't looking for rentals but, rather, players who will have draft pick value in the near future. The report also added that the Bulls are believed to be intent on keeping DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic as part of the core, which is why they are in win-now mode.

This report is in contrast to the rumors involving LaVine and otherwise that indicated a teardown at the trade deadline for Chicago. However, Scotto's reporting didn't address the possibility of LaVine being on the move as a trade candidate when he gets back healthy.

Connecting the dots from this report, though, perhaps the Bulls could use the return from a LaVine trade to retool the roster around DeRozan and Vucevic. That could be challenging given the tepid interest in the malcontent All-Star. Even if they do get a solid return in such a deal, though, it's still difficult to see why the Bulls are choosing this course of action.

NBA Rumors: Bulls win-now trade plans are hard to make sense of

Clearly, Chicago is staring down a rebuild that the front office can't stand. Considering Artūras Karnišovas built this team the way it's currently constructed, his future could be in jeopardy without having a chance to help build the next era for the Bulls. However, if Chicago is able to get a strong return in a LaVine trade, a case could be made for him to keep his job.

Scotto made note of a salient point that the Bulls have certainly suffered from simply bad luck. One-third of Chicago's star trio, Lonzo Ball, suffered left knee injuries that have kept him out of action since 2021. So if any forthcoming moves keep the Bulls in playoff of Play-In Tournament contention, Jerry Reinsdorf might end up keeping AK around.

While that statement might seem outrageous, consider that Reinsdorf allowed John Paxson and Gar Forman around a decade to right the ship -- and ultimately falling short -- before sending them their pink slips. When Karnišovas was hired, Bulls fans thought they were turning a new leaf. However, their current strategy according to this report puts them in danger of repeating similar mistakes.